Relay



NOV. 8, 1932. 1 ERlCKSON 1,886,474

RELAY Filed Jan. 13, 1932 Inuannr* Jahn Erick Patented Nov. 8, 1932 JOHN ERICKSON, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,Y

ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0

ASSOCIATED ELECTRIC LABORATORIES,`INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE RELAY Application led January 13, 1932. Serial No. 586,365.

This invention relates to electromagnetic relays, particularly those of the ty e commonly known as telephone relays. uch relays usually have the contact springs mounted parallel to the core. The armature is ordinarily mounted at the end of the core and moves in a direction parallel to its axis. This manner of mounting the armature makes it necessary to operate the contact springs by means of a lever which is either formed integral with or attached to the armature and approximately at right angles to it. Adjustment of this type of relay is usually accomplished by bending the lever so i6 as to change the angle between it and t-he armature. Certain other relays have the armature mounted parallel to the core, of about the same length as the core, and pivoted at one end. The other end moves at right angies to the core and is provided with some means for operating the contact springs.

The object of my invention is, therefore, to provide a relay in which the armature moves as a whole, with a plunger action, and at right angles to the axis of the core so as to operate the contact springs directly. I further pro- Vide an adjusting bolt for regulating the stroke of the armature instead of regulating the stroke by bending as in other types.

A further object of my invention is to pro vide a relay of simple construction whose operation is very reliable.

The features of my invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing and the description thereof in which l have illustrated a relay of the type stated.

Figs. 1 and 4 are elevations of relays embodying the principles of my invention. Fig.

2 is a perspective of the magnetic elements of the relay shown in Fig. 1, exclusive of the armature. Fig. 3 shows all of the parts which when assembled form the armature.

Fig. 1 shows the general construction and 5 appearance of a complete relay. ltconsists of; coil 2 wound on a flat core 3 and spaced from the heelpiece 4 by the metallic `block 7 at one end, an armature of which 13 is the major portion mounted near the oppositeend, a spring 18 and screw 19 located at the end nearest the armature, and the contact springs 5 and 6 which are mounted on the heelpiece 4 in the conventional manner.

A more detailed description of the relay shown in Fig. 1 and of its component parts and operation follows: In Fig. 3 the parts 13 and 14 are made of magnetic material and when held together by bolt 12 and nut 15 form a spool-shaped assembly. A cross-sec tion of the parts 13 and 14 in any horizontal plane perpendicular to the drawing wouldv be circular and with a hole through the center. The hole through the part 13 is tapped to receive the bolt 12 so that the head of the bolt may project by an amount in accordance with the thickness of the heelpiece and the stroke desired. The length of the stroke may be changed by changing thelength that the head of bolt 12 projects from part 13. The bolt must be inserted through the hole 16 in the heelpiece before it is screwed into the part 13. Ater this is done the disc 14 is placed over the bolt and against the end of part 13 which extends through a. ferrule 11 inthe core. The nut 15 is tightened in .place and holds the disc 14 and also locks the bolt 12 so that it cannot turn in part 13. The disc 14 and the fiat portion of part 13 are attracted to the core and the heelpiece respectively when the coil 2 as shown in Fig. 1 is energized. This causes the armature to slide endwise.

The complete magnetic path is traced through the core 3, air gap 9, disc 14, part 13, air gap 8, heelpiece 4, block 7 and back to core 3. The metallic block 7 is drilled and tapped so that the relay may be mounted by screws through the mounting base and in the holes in the block. The'heelpiece 4 serves` as a mounting for the contact springs 5 and 6.

The ferrule 11 through which the part 13 slides, is made of non-magnetic material such as, for instance, brass. The bolt 12 is also made of non-magnetic material and slides through a hole 16 in the heelpiece. The non magnetic ferrule and bolt are included to prevent the armature from sticking to the core or to the heelpiece due to residual magnetism. The bolt 12 serves the double purpose of holding the parts of the armature together and actuating the contact springs, The contact spring 6, which is closest to the heelpiece, is fitted with a bushing 17 to insulate it from bolt 12. Bolt 12 actuates the contact spring 6 when the coil 2 is energized and the armature moves. The head of the bolt keeps spring 6 from moving the armature further than is desired when the coil 2 is deenergized.

The distance between the free ends of the core 3 and the heelpiece 4 may be varied by means of non-magnetic screw 19 and nonmagnetic spring 18. This is in order to make the air gaps 8 and 9 of equal length. The hole 2O in the heelpiece is tapped and the hole 10 in the core is not. Thus the screw 19 may be turned in to draw the heelpiece and the core together while if it is turned out the spring 18 pushes them apart.

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of my invention using two separate windings 21 and 22 on the core 24. The return magnetic lpath is formed by the yoke or heelpiece 23 on which the contact springs 5 and 6 are mounted. One end of the heelpiece is drilled and tapped for ymounting the relay either singly or in banks asv desired. The heelpiece 28 has a notch cut into each end into which the core 24 is fitted. The screws 25 hold the core rigidly in these notches. No provision is made for adjusting the distance between the core and the heelpiece at the armature since the core isl supported by both ends of the heelpiece and may be spaced accurately enough to eliminate the necessity for such adjustment. The stroke is adjusted in the same manner as in the relay shown in Fig. 1.

If either coil alone, in a relay of the construction shown in Fig. 4, is energized, most of the resultant iiux is set up in the entire core and the heelpiece in series. Thus it is seen that little flux takes the comparatively high reluctance path across the air gaps 8 and -9 and the armature does not move; If both coils are energized so that their magnetomotive forces are in the same direction along the core the result is the same as if one Vcoil alone is energized. However, if both coils are energized and their magnetomotive forces oppose each other along the core, the resultant flux passes across the air gaps 8 and 9 and through the armature to cause it to move and actuate the springs 5 and 6. The return path for the iiux set up by each coil is throughthatportion of the heelpiece adjacent to the respective coils. A short cir* cuited winding in the place of either one of the windings shown will cause the amature to pull up when the opposite winding is energized. The armature will be released again, even if the coil remains energized, due to the flux seeking the lower reluctance path through' the core encircled by the short-cirkcuited winding. This will take an appreciable length of time so that the release does not take lace immediately.

While Ihave shown two embodiments of myinvention with only a single pair of contact springs on each, I do not wish to limit myself to construction as shown-nor to the contacts as shown since it is-possible to construct other relays on this same principle, and to use various combinations of contact springs.

What is claimed is:

1. In a. relay, a set of circuit controlling Contact. springs, an electromagnet, an arma ture controlled by said electromagnet, said armature movable endwise at right angles to the core of said electromagnet to actuate said contact springs.

2. In a relay, a flat core having a hole therein, an electromagnet wound on said core, an armature, saidarmature extending through said hole in the core and slidable in the hole in a direction at right angles to the axis of said core upon energization of said electromagnet.

3. A relay having a pair of arms of magnetic material, a plunger extending at right angles to said arms, a pair of elements of magnetic material on said plunger, one adjacent to each arm, means for generating a magnetic iiux in said arms to attract said elements to thereby move said plunger endwise across said arms.

4. A relay having two parallel arms of magnetic material, each havingV a hole therein, a non-magnetic ferrule in the hole in one of said arms, a plunger having magnetic and non-magnetic portions, said magnetic portion of said plunger extending through said nonmagnetic ferrule, and said non-magnetic portion of said plunger extending throughthe hole in the other of said arms, and means for generating a magnetic flux in said parallel arms to affect the magnetic portions of said plunger.

5. -A relay having a pair of arms of magnetic material, a set of contact springs, a spool shaped plunger armature extending through said arms and at right angles to them, mea-ns for. adjusting the distance between said `arms at the point where said armature is mounted, an electromagnetwound on one ofsaid arms to magnetically' energize said arms and moye said armature and operate said contact springs.

6. A relay having a fiat core of magnetic material, having a hole therein, a non-ma fnetic .ferrule in the hole, a yoke of magnetic 

